Supporting linkage for irons



June 1954 E. E. FOSTER SUPPORTING LINKAGE FOR IRONS 9 Sheets-Sheet 1 F'iled Sept. 20, 1949 VENTOR A TORNEY5 June 8, 1954 E. E. FOSTER SUPPORTING LINKAGE FOR IRoNs 9 Sheets-Sheet 2 I I l mm mi I Y fz Filed Sept. 20, 1949 June 8, 1954 E. E. FOSTER SUPPORTING LINKAGE FOR IRONS 9 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Sept. 20, 1949 INVENT OR June 8, 1954 E. E. FOSTER 2,580,311

SUPPORTING LINKAGE FOR IRONS Filed Sept. 20, 1949 n 9 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR A BY bw/NE.' #65555? ATTORNEY:

June 8, 1954 E. E. FOSTER 2,680,311

SUPPORTING LINKAGE FOR IRoNs Filed sept. 2o, 1949 9 sheets-sheet 5 m A ORNEXS June 8, 1954 E. E. FOSTER SUPPORTING LINKAGE FOR IRONS 9 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed Sept. 20, 1949 imi" ll H HH INH Hill HI i *MINUI- HHH/Mimi INVENTOR' 43 ATTORNEYS June 8, 1954 E. E. FOSTER 2,689,311

SUPPORTING LINKAGE FOR IRONS Filed Sept. 20, 1949 9 Sheets-Sheet 7 f 1 1 Y h INVENTOR fwy/yw/womms HIl June 8, 1954 E. E. FOSTER SUPPORTING LINKAGE FOR IRoNs Filed Sept. 20, 1949 9 Sheets-Sheet 8 INVENTOR z-Jrwn/ ,Esrse TTORNEYJ' June 8, 1954 E. E. FOSTER 2,630,311

SUPPORTING LINKAGE FOR IRONS Filed sept. 2o, 1949 9 Sheets-Sheel'l 9 IN VENTOR ATTOR EYS Patented June 8, 1954 UNITED STATESv PATENT OFFICE SUPPORTING LINKAGE FOR IRON S Edwin E. Foster, Austin, Tex. Application September 20, 1949, Serial No. 116,644

(Cl. Sil-30) 8 Claims.

This invention relates to for an iron and particularly .to a linkage to support an iron for movement in a horizontal plane over an ironing surface.

Another object resides in the provision of a detachable stand for the iron and arm not only to support the iron and arm when in the ironing position, but also to support the arm and iron in the non-assembled position of the parts.

A feature of the invention resides in the provision of a mechanical arm attached to a supporting post adjacent to the ironing board and one end of the arm attached to a standard-electric iron by means of a flexible cable.

Another object resides in the provision of an easy working trigger attached to the handle of the iron and connected to an electric solenoid in the arm so that at the time the operator. starts to lift the iron, the electric solenoid will do the a supporting linkage work of lifting the iron through the rst half of w the lifting stroke, at which point a counteriron in the upper half of the lifting stroke, the current through the solenoid cutting oil at the end of the upward stroke.

A further object resides in the provision of an adapter which will connect the mechanical arm to any standard electric or steam electric iron and cause the iron to have its full pressure while on the material to be ironed, and to bezJ come weightless and always lift itself when the weight of the operators hand is removed from a feather touch triggen'the trigger in the handle operating a micro-switch which energizes the electric solenoid. A

Further objects will be apparent from the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Figures 1 and la taken together show a side elevation partly in section of the arm and the iron y in rear elevation in its lifted position;

Figures 2 and 2a taken together show a rear elevation of the arm partly in section;

Figures 3 and 3a taken together show a front elevation of a forearm of the arm partly in section;

Figures 4 and lla taken together show a side elevation of the arm and rear elevation ofthe iron showing parts of the armin section and the iron in its ironing position;

Figures 5 and 5a taken together show a rear elevation of the upper arm section of the arm with parts in section;

Figure 6 is a side elevation raised position;

of the iron in the Figure 7 lis a side elevation of the iron in the ironing position;

Figures 8 and 9 are wiring diagrams;

Figure 10 is a side elevation of the ironing board with the iron and support in folded position;

Figure 11 is a side elevation of the board in a different position from that of Fig. 10;

Figure 12 is a bottom plan view of the board in the folded position;

Figure 13 is a side elevation of the board in the folded position;

Figure 14 is a perspective view of the support base; s

Figure 15 is a perspective View of a detail of the legs `of the board; and

Figure 16 is a perspective view of a detail of the legs of the board.

Figs. 1 to 5a show an iron 38 operatively attached to a forearm section I0, which latter is pivotally hinged to a main or rear arm section 1. As shown in Figs. 4 and 5, a cable I is attached to a pin 2 on the periphery of a cam 3, which is riveted to a housing 5 by means of pins 2 and S. The main arm section 'Iopivots on the housing 5 on the pin 8 and the cable I extends up the arm section 'I and over a curved guide member 9, which is riveted to the forearm I0 by means of two or more rivets, not shown. The cable I is attached to thevcurved guide member 9 at the pin II in Fig. 1a. With this construction, the free end of the arm III is constrained to move in the same horizontal plane parallel to the ironing board as the arm 1 pivots about the pin 8. A second cable I2 is attached to the pulley section I3 at the pin I4 and the pulley section I3 is provided vwith a hub I5 and is pivotally connected on the pin 3. The pulley section I 3 is also provided with a pin I6, to which a slotted connecting link I'I is attached at its upper end, the lower end of the link II being pivotally connected to a movable head I8 of a solenoid I 9 at the point 2li. The kcable I2 extends up the arm 'I and over a movable pulley 2l and down the forearm I0 over a small pulley 22 and out of the lower end of the forearm to where itis attached to an adapter bracket 23. The cable I2 is attached to the movable pulley 2l at the point 24. A counter-weight spring 25 is pivotally mounted through a turnbuckle 26 to a pin 2l in the forearm I0 and the upper end of the tension spring 25 is pivotally connected at the point 28 to a link 29 which is pivoted through ball bearing 30 to a pin 3 I, which is attached to the movable pulley 2 I. Movable pulley 2| pivots on a suitable bearing 32 and around a pin 33 which connects the forearm section I to the upper arm section 1. The object of the tension spring 25 is to counter-weight the iron through the cable l2 through its upper half of the vertical stroke of the iron. As the iron is moved downward from the position shown in Fig. l, due to a slight downward pressure on the handle by the operator, the spring 25 will cross the center of the .pulley 2l .when the iron isr about halfway down., The lifting effect of the spring 25 is therefore removed and the iron will drop freely the rest of the way to the ironing board so that by the time it reaches the materialto be ironed it will have its full weight on the material to be ironed. There is no eiort required to hold the iron down, since the operator` is not overcominga counter-weight spring. When the operator starts to lift the iron, however, a trigger 34 changes from the position shown in Fig. 6 to the position shown in Fig. '7, due to aspring in a micro switch 35. When the micro-switch 35 is' closed, as 'shown in Fig. 7, thesolenoidl@ isenergized and the. 'Solenoid plunger, or head E5, is pulled downward to its vclosed position shown vin Fig`. l. This stroke of the solenoid is suicient to lift the iron just pastthe vover-center position of the spring 25 to where the iron will be ,carriedtherest of the way up by means of the counter-weight spring25. A slot, Fig. 4, is provided in the link IJ. so 4that the pulley i3 cammove through the restof the stroke as the head I8 of the solenoid hascmpletelyclosed. the ironreaches thelimit oi its upward stroke, a plate 36 hits thepullefylz and. causes a .pushlinkl to push thet'rigger 34 downward to cut off thecurient. to the Asolenoid.. -Thistrigger .34. remains downward,- as

shwh in Fig. 6, at the time the operatorcatches holdof the handle again. I n other words,. tiie trigger. 34 is already in a closed position and cannot pinch .the hand as tlie iron isguided downward and through its ironing stroke.,

. The iron .38 is attached. to an ad pter bracket plate 39 by means ofthe screw. 40, Fig. 1,. A tension spring 4l is attached to the upper arm 1 at the .point 42 and to a pin. 43 onthe housing 5. .This spring. 41, is used to counters weight. the weight of the elbow as the arm is extended.V As shown in Figs., l, 4; 6 and'?, the iron is provided with a handle Ylli to which the. adapter bracket 39 is secured by means, o f a suitable H shaped stirrup 41 fastened by meanso'i screwsj, IThe trigger..34.which operates theniicro-switch 35 is pivoted at. dil-.toY the bracket 39 at one end thereof with the other end 50- projecting Awell up on the handle 46 as shown in Figs and 1.

In order toprotect the.. two wires 5| a strip of material, preferably leather, in .the formo a band 52 is secured around a portion of the outer vface of the` arm section 1 0 and completely on the arm section 1 and to which the wire is clamped by means of clips 53.

vThe ironing board 54 may beof 'any 'suitable construction, but for k strength and theutmo'st utility metalA construction of stainless steel, aluminum and other metals and alloys may be employed. The board 54 as shown in Figs. 6 and '7. is covered with a suitable fabric 5 5 and a folding leg structure supports the board. Asshown in Figs. lo to 13, a pairbilegfsf'ni is connected at the upper end to the board by@ pivotalc'ongnection 51 and at the bottom end the leg are integralwith a bottom section This bottom section 58 isconnected by means of link members 59 toa U-sh ped foot or support section U which latter forms the base for the ironing board with the link members 55 and a further pair oi link members Bi actually forming the elements which Contact the floor. The link members El are also connected to a second leg member 62 which is pivotally secured to the board 54 at 63. A diagonal strut 64 is also pivoted on the connection or rod 51 and is provided with two hook members 65 and 6 6 spaced relative to each other and cooperating with a guard rail .61 secured on the second leg member 62. Thus in one position the board 54 is held in the right adjusted position as shown ir 1 i'ig. l 1 in which the hook 65 contacts the bottom end of the guard rail 61 and in the le ft adjusted position as shown in Fig. 10 the upper hook 66 contacts the rail 61. By releasing the hook' 66 from the rail 61, the board may be folded as shown in Figs. l2 and 13.

All of the elements which comprise the frame to support the ironing board are preferably made of tubular metal sections which are not only light, but. they are strong.

As seen in Fig. 1I, the bottom or support section BD is providedwith a pin 68 which isfor the purpose of receiving and holding a base member 59, Figs. ligand 14, by means ofa sleeve elenient 10 securedto the base. Ihis b ase member G9 has a depressed portion 1I in the approximate s hapeto receive the iron 3 8 and a post member 1 2 is also secured on the base member. Fig. 10 shows the board set upready for use, but the iron 3 8 is shown as supportedin the depressed portion 1l and thetwosections 1 and I 0 vof the arm are foldedwitn the stem 13 of the arm moiinted and supported in a hole 14 in the base Figs, 8 and 9 are wiringdiagram's showing two different ways in which the heating element, the microswit h andthe solenoid can be electrically digested 1:01a base plus;

As own 1n Figs.v 1ct 4and 4c 1., abrake member 14' is secured, on the pin 3l to contact the pin 33 to act as a brake member to keep the arm from swinging outwardl y. V

Itis believed to be obvious regardingthe use of the boardduring irmintr in that theboard 54 maybe shifted or adjusted to two dierent posi'- tion'sas shown in Figs. 1 0 andll. Alsoinflg. 1 0; the 'arms 1 and IB andthe iron 3 5 are raised fsothat the ste m 13 rits into thepost 12 andthe ironis therrreadyior use. 1n using the device as so far described, thestem 1 3 is insertedin the hollow post 12I on the ironing board so that t 'e arm 1 projects vertically above the ironing board .and the varm lt l holds the iron suspended sbav@ the bgadf The. Spring 25 Wi11 at this time exe'rt tensionbn thecablfelz to lift the iron to a position as shownin Figures land 6 above the level of the v ironing boar d By grasping the handle of the iron, the op er ator can move the iron to any desired p ositionabove the board and the linkage will function to support the iron in a horizontal plane above land parallel t6 the bqard.

To eiect an ironing operation, a downward pressure on theiron is exerted bythe operator to turn thepulley 2l through tension on the downward so that the solenoid I9 is deenergized. At the completion of an ironing operation the operator releases the handle so that the trigger 34 swings upward under the influence of a spring in the switch 35 allowing the switch 35 to close to energize the solenoid I 9. At this time, the pulley member I3 exerts a pull on the cable l2 to turn the pulley 2l back toward the position shown in Figure 1a and to raise the iron from the ironing board. After a partial upward movement of the iron the pivot point 3| for the spring 25 will cross to the right of the pivot 33 as seen in Figure la so that the spring 25 will again become effective to exert a pullV on the cable I2 to raise the iron. When the iron reaches its fully elevated position due to the pull of the spring 25, vthe plate 35 will hit the pulley 22 and cause the push link 31 to push the trigger 34 downward opening the switch 35 thereby to deenergize the solenoid. The parts will remain in this position until the iron is again forced downward by an operator as described above.

I claim as my invention:

1.` An ironing device comprising a pair of arm sections pivotally connected to each other at one end, means supporting the other end of one of the arm sections, means connecting the arm sections so that as they pivot relative to each other the free end of the other arm section will be guided in a horizontal plane, means movable relative to the arm sections to support an iron having a handle from the free end of said other arm section for vertical movement toward and away from an ironing surface, electric motor means carried by the nrst named supporting means and connected to the movable means and adapted when energized to raise the iron toward the free end of said other arm section, a control switch to energize the electric motor means operable from the handle of the iron, and a switch control member connected to the controlswitch and movable with the movable supporting means to engage a part on said other arm section and open the switch when the iron is raised.

2. An ironing device comprising a pair of arm sections pivotally connected to each other at one end, means supporting the other end of one of the arm sections, means connecting the arm sections so that as they pivot relative to each other the free end of the other arm section will be guided in a horizontal plane, means movable relative to the arm sections to support an iron having a handle from the free end of said other arm section for vertical movement toward and away from an ironing surface, electric motor means carried by the rst named supporting means and connected to the movable means and adapted when energized to raise the iron toward the free end of said other arm section, a control switch to energize the electric motor means operable from the handle of the iron, a switch control member connected to the control switch and movable with the movable supporting means to engage a part on said other arm section and open the switch when the iron is raised, and an overcenter spring device connected to one of the arm sections and the movable supporting means and acting therethrough to raise the iron to its fully elevated position after it has been partially raised by the motor means.

3. An ironing device comprising a pair of arm sections pivotally connected to each other, supporting means to support one end of one of the arm sections, means connecting the arm sections so that as they pivot relative to each other thefree end of the other arm will be guided in a horizontal plane, means movable relative to the arms for supporting an iron having a handle from the free end of said other arm for vertical movement toward and away from an ironing surface, an electric solenoid carried by the rst named supporting means and connected to the movable supporting means to control raising and lowering of the iron, and a switch operable from the handle of the iron to control energization of the solenoid.

4. An ironing device comprising a pair of arm sections pivotally connected to each other, supporting means to support one end of one of the arm sections, means connecting the arm sections so that as they pivot relative to each other the free end of the other arm will be guided in a horizontal plane, means movable relative to the arms for supporting an iron having a handle from the free end of said other arm for vertical movement toward and away from an ironing surface, an electric solenoid carried by the irst named supporting means and connected to'the movable supporting means to control raising and lowering of the iron, a switch connected to the solenoid to control energization thereof, and a trigger mounted on the handle of the iron and engageable with the switch to open the switch and de-energize the solenoid when the trigger is engaged by the hand of an operator and to close the switch to energize the solenoid when the trigger is released.

5. An ironing device comprising a pair of arm sections pivotally connected to each other, supporting means to support one end of one of the arm sections, means connecting the arm sections so that as they pivot relative to each other the free end of the other arm will be guided in a horizontal plane, means movable relative to the arms for supporting an iron having a handle from the free end of said other arm for vertical movement toward and away from an ironing surface, an electric solenoid carried by the first named supporting means and connected to the movable supporting means to control raising and lowering of the iron, and a switch operable from the handle of the iron to control energization of the solenoid, said movable supporting means including a cable extending through the arm sections connected at one end to the iron and at the other end to the solenoid.

6. An ironing device comprising a pair of arm sections pivotally connected to each other, supporting means to support one end of one of the arm sections, means connecting the arm sections so that as they pivot relative to each other the free end of the other arm will be guided in a horizontal plane, means movable relative to the arms for supporting an iron having a handle from the free end of said other arm for vertical movement toward and away from an ironing surface, an electric solenoid carried by the first named supporting means and connected to the movable supporting means tocontrol raising and lowering of the iron, a switch operable from the handle of the iron to control energization of the solenoid, a spring connected at one end to one of the arm sections, and a pulley mounted in the arm sections connecting the other end of the spring to the movable supporting means to raise the iron to its fully elevated position after it has been partially raised by the solenoid.

7. An ironing device comprising a pair of arm sections pivotally connected to each other, supporting means to support one end of one of the afi-"rnl sections', means connecting the arm sections so that as they pivot relative to each other the free end of the other arm will be guided in a horizontal plane, means movable relative to the arms for supporting an iron having a handle from the free end of said other arm for vertical movement toward and away from an ironing surface, an electric solenoid carried by the rst named supporting means and connected to the moi/able supporting means to control raising and lowering of the iron, a switch operable from the handle of the iron to control energization of the solenoid, said movable supporting means including a cable extending through the arm sections connected at one end to the iron and at the other erid to the solenoid, a rotatable pulley in one of the arm sections connected to the cable, and a spring in said one of the arm sections connected to the pulley to exert a variable lifting force on the cable as the pulley turns.-

8. An ironing device comprising a. pair of arm sections pivotally connected to each other, supporting means to support one end of one of the arm sections, means connecting the arm sections so that as they pivot relative to each other the free end of the other arm will be guided in a, horizontal plane, means movable relative to the arms for supporting an iron having a handle from the free end of said other arm for vertical movement toward and away from an ironing surface, an electric solenoid carried by the first named supporting means and connected to the movable supporting means to control raising and lowering of the iron, a switch operable from the handle of the iron to control energizaton of the solenoid, and an overcenter spring device connected to the movable supporting means to exert a low lifting force thereon when the iron is low'- ered and a higher lifting force thereon when the movable supporting means is moved by the solenoid to raise the iron.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,209,194 Deutsch July 23, 1940 

